ASHES HEROES GET ON THEIR BIKES

ASHES HEROES GET ON THEIR BIKES Three members of England’s 2005 Ashes-winning squad will be among a large group of past and present cricketers who will be cycling more than 400 miles from Truro in Cornwall to the Kia Oval in five days later this month. Somerset captain Marcus Trescothick, former Kent and Gloucestershire wicketkeeper Geraint Jones and ex-Durham fast bowler Steve Harmison will be among 75 riders taking part in Big Bike Ride 2 which will raise funds for the Professional Cricketers’ Association Professional Cricketers’ Trust and the Tom Maynard Trust. They will complete the bike ride in five stages with fund raising events at venues across the route which starts in Truro on October 9 and ends in London on October 13. The three Ashes heroes will be joined by fellow England internationals Darren Gough, Ali Brown, Rob Key, Gavin Hamilton, Gareth Batty, Matthew Maynard and Stuart Meaker as well as Gloucestershire’s former New Zealand batsman Hamish Marshall. Lydia Greenway, Heather Knight and Tammy Beaumont, all current members of the England Women squad will be joining the ride for the first threedays. Former England batsman Graeme Fowler will be part of the Big Bike Ride 2 support staff while past and present county players Lee Daggett (Northamptonshire), David Griffiths (Kent), Alex Morris (Hampshire), Charlie Mulraine (Warwickshire), Graham Napier (Essex), Matt Coles (Kent), Stephen Peters (Northamptonshire), Jaik Mickleburgh (Essex), Jason Ratcliffe (Surrey), Ian Saxelby (Gloucestershire), David Wigley (Northamptonshire), Ian Thomas (Glamorgan), Dan Cherry (Glamorgan), Michael Reed (Glamorgan), Alan Fordham (Northamptonshire), David Fulton (Kent) and Glamorgan wicketkeeper Mark Wallace, the PCA chairman, will be among the riders. The Big Bike Ride 2 itinerary is: Friday October 9: Truro to Instow via Lanhydrock andHolsworthy. Saturday October 10: Instow to Taunton via Exford and Bampton. Sunday October 11: Taunton to Ageas Bowl via King Alfreds Hill, Sutton Veny and East Dean. Monday October 12: Ageas Bowl to The BrightonandHoveJobs.com County Ground, Hove via West Dean. Tuesday October 13: Hove to Kia Oval via Wivelfield Green, Edenbridge and Camberwell. The PCA Professional Cricketers’ Trust is part of the Association’s commitment to helping current and former players and their dependants in tims of hardship and upheaval to readjust to the world beyond the game. The Fund also supports players and their dependants who might be in need of a helping hand with medical advice, a much-needed operation or those who require specialist advice, care or assistance. The Tom Maynard Trust was set up in the summer of 2012 following the tragic death of Surrey and former Glamorgan batsman Tom. Its initial objectives were to try to provide low level financial support for young cricketers making their way in the game. This has now been expanded to include grants for aspiring young sports people looking for support with different aspects of their career development, education and awareness programmes, the Tom Maynard Academy at the Desert Springs complex in Southern Spain where up to 14 emerging county cricketers will benefit from specialist technical and conditioning work and a scholarship at his old school, Millfield School. To support and donate to Big Bike Ride 2 go to: https://mydonate.bt.com/events/bbr2pcabftmt/193332 For more information go to: https://www.thepca.co.uk/big-bike-ride-2.html {{ak_sharing}}